Interview: God Is An Astronaut’s Torsten Kinsella Discusses the Band’s Legacy and New Album

You featured a number of guest musicians on Embers–who are they and why did you choose them to play on your album?
Embers is a deeply personal album, dedicated to my father, Thomas Kinsella, who passed away unexpectedly on November 28th, 2023. Before he died, he suggested we explore different instruments—acoustic guitar, slide guitar, and his favorite, the sitar. In his memory, we felt compelled to honor those ideas.

We brought in Dara O’Brien, one of Ireland’s top sitar players, whom we had briefly worked with in the past. Dara infused the album with rich eastern ethnic influences, giving Embers a unique identity. Jo Quail, an incredible cellist from the UK, collaborated with us on every song. After working with her on the ambient track “Luminous Waves” from Ghost Tapes 10, Jo eagerly embraced the heavier tracks on this album, adding depth and emotion to each piece.

Sean Coleman contributed zither and reverse tape delay effects on “Falling Leaves.” He recognized the psychedelic rock and ethnic elements in the music and enhanced them, making the tracks even more emotive. My good friend Jimmy Scanlan played guitar on two tracks and loaned me his 1962 Vox AC 30, which provided the old, rich sound I was seeking. These collaborations brought a diverse range of sounds and emotions to Embers. 

In 2022, you released the live record The Beginning Of The End, which saw you revisiting your first album for its 20th anniversary. Did looking back on the early days of the band give you any inspiration or ideas for where to take the band in your third decade?
Yes, revisiting our first album for the 20th anniversary with The Beginning Of The End was quite an insightful experience. It gave us a chance to reflect on our roots and the original sound that characterized our early days. In many ways, our first album was more trip hop influenced compared to our sophomore release, All is Violent, All is Bright. Revisiting that era was fascinating, almost like exploring the road not taken.

Our track “Oscillation” is a direct nod to that early style, and we consciously incorporated the big, obvious hook lines from the first album into our new material. However, the new album represents a natural progression from all our past releases. We’ve carried forward palettes and elements from our previous works, blending them into our current sound. Overall, looking back has not only provided inspiration but also reinforced our evolution as a band, guiding us as we move forward into our third decade.

What did the writing process for Embers look like? Do the three of you block out time to write or are these compositions that sort of naturally evolved from jamming or playing around with pre-existing ideas?
The writing process for Embers was quite organic, with ideas evolving naturally from a mix of jamming and building on pre-existing concepts. Some of the tracks began on an acoustic guitar. I wrote “Falling Leaves” the day after my father, Thomas Kinsella, passed away. I used his acoustic guitar to capture the shocking and sad moment of his passing. He was outside in the garden, with leaves falling from the trees, and the song represents his final moments and his transition to the other side. This track to me encapsulates the album’s deep emotional core and sets the tone for the journey ahead.

Other tracks began with arpeggio bass lines by Niels, and one even started on the piano. We would demo these ideas and then build them up from there. To ensure we had the correct tempos and the feel we wanted, we played some of the full band tracks live before recording them. This process allowed us to refine and perfect the compositions before laying down the final takes in the studio.

Who are the artists that inspire you? God Is An Astronaut’s music covers a pretty wide spectrum from psych and krautrock to post-rock, electronic music and even some heavier escapades.
Our music, first and foremost, comes from within. It tells our own personal stories, reflecting our journeys and emotions.

In creating our sound, we wanted to honor the past, particularly my father’s 1960s rock band, the Orange Machine. Using his old fuzz pedals through a Vox AC30, I felt like I was bridging the past to the present, creating a connection between generations.

So many great artists have inspired us. From the heavy riffs of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to the timeless melodies of The Beatles. The atmospheric depths of The Cure and the raw energy of Soundgarden and Nirvana. The emotional intensity of Whipping Boy and the innovative genius of Radiohead. The dark, entrancing beats of Massive Attack and the rhythms and synths of The Chemical Brothers. The experimental spirit of Faust and the industrial edge of Nine Inch Nails. The lush soundscapes of My Bloody Valentine , Brian Eno and so many more.

In the end, our musical style is a blend of these inspirations and our own unique voice, striving to create something that resonates deeply with those who listen.

Are there goals or milestones you haven’t achieved as a band that you would still like to do?
Our goal is to continue to write and tour, sharing our music with the world and ensuring it remains relevant in an ever-changing musical landscape. There are so many places we’ve yet to experience, and we’d love to perform in Japan, Australia and most of South America. These are dreams we hope to realize, connecting with new audiences in places we’ve only imagined.

Beyond touring, we’ve always had the aspiration to score a movie or have some of our existing music featured on a soundtrack. The idea of our soundscape enhancing a film’s narrative is incredibly compelling to us.

But perhaps most importantly, in an industry where paying artists fairly has become almost a dead concept, our main wish is to continue making a living through our music. It’s increasingly difficult, but our passion drives us to persevere.